Africa investor (Ai) today confirmed that Dr. Hubert Danso, its CEO and Chairman, and the Chairman of the African Union’s Continental Business Network (CBN) and the African Green Infrastructure Investment Bank (AfGIIB), Chaired the COP28 Global Grid Investment high-level Panel in Dubai at the COP28 Business & Philanthropy Forum.
The COP28 Business and Philanthropy Forum convened world leaders, international organisations, and CEOs of the private sector, to discuss and showcase progress, challenges, and solutions across a number of industries and issues.
The high-level Global Grids panel, themed ‘Unblocking Investment and Unlocking Africa’s Renewable Future’, highlighted that despite requiring as much as US$21 trillion in investment by 2050, the electricity grids in regions across the Global South face challenges with securing affordable funding to enable the transition.
Dr. Danso chaired an engaging discussion, which addressed the urgency of innovating grid financing methods and a re-evaluation of grid models used for decentralised electricity systems in Africa, amidst growing debt, rising interest rates, and the evolving role of public and private investment in green infrastructure projects.
Speakers on Dr Danso’s panel included: Greg Jackson, CEO and Founder, Octopus Energy, Sherif ElKholy, Partner, Actis, Nadja Haakansson, SVP Africa, Siemens Energy and Chris Flavin, Head of Business Development, Gridworks Development Partners.
The high-level session showcased how the private sector can spearhead and scale grid investment projects and make African transmission projects a competitive investable asset class.
